Noted rock agent, radio DJ David Spero shares memories of his entertainment career

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerDavid Spero sits with his music memorabilia at his South Euclid home. Spero has an extensive background working with musicians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — David Spero has been in the music business since he was a youngster. He held up cue cards as a youngster for Don Webster, host of "Upbeat," the music variety show produced by Spero's late dad, Herman, that aired from 1964 to 1971.

Spero, 58, who lives and works in South Euclid, got his start in Cleveland FM radio while still a teenager. Then his career evolved into artist management. He now owns the Cleveland office of Alliance Artists Ltd. (his son Adam is a manager there), where he represents Dickey Betts, Dave Mason, The Funk Brothers and a host of other celebrities.

A career highlight? He worked with client Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) on his last album. Yusuf thought there was a part perfect for Paul McCartney. Spero made a call. A week later, they were all in a studio.

"Here I am, a kid from Cleveland giving suggestions to a Beatle on how to do a part," said Spero. "I was walking on a cloud for weeks.

"OK, truth be told, I still am."

Tell us about "Upbeat."

"Upbeat" really started a new style in rock TV shows. My dad wanted to take Top 40 to TV. Instead of the "American Bandstand" format of one performer and 10 dance numbers, my dad decided it was better with 10 different performers and one dance number. You could see Tommy James, Duke Ellington, the Temptations, the Box Tops and Johnny Cash on one show! "Shindig" and "Hullabaloo" soon followed his lead.

"Upbeat" was taped on Saturdays. This is how our day went: My father would dictate the script to my mother around 8 a.m. My brother, Harry, and I ran the mimeograph machine (love that smell) and stapled the scripts together.

My dad and I then drove to TV-5 at East 30th and Euclid for the 10 a.m. rehearsals. I would go over the script with Don Webster and he would tell me what he wanted on the cue cards. There was a one-hour lunch break at noon. The show started taping at 1 p.m., and was on Channel 5 at 5 p.m. It was syndicated around the country to over 100 cities the following weeks. We did 50 shows a year!

Best breakfast in Cleveland?

Jack's Deli [in University Heights] for the best lox and bagels!

Best sandwich?

The RJ at Tommy's on Coventry is my favorite sandwich anywhere. [Toasted cheese, sunflower seeds and veggies, $5.79.] It's gotta be well done.

Your drink of choice and where you get it?

It's water, Diet Coke or iced tea, although at the Ritz I'm in the Martini Hall of Fame with my alcohol-free martini. My Sperotini has pomegranate juice, a little lime, a little spritz of soda water and some cherry juice. Quite tasty but no kick!

Describe your morning commute.

It's about 100 yards from the back door of my home to my office's front door. Tough going in winter for me and our dog, Stella.

My office is really a converted garage. The guy who built our house used to fix up old cars, so he built a driveway to the back of the property and had another garage up there. You can see it in one of Michael Stanley's videos ["He Can't Love You."] He owned the house before we did.

What's your office decor?

My office is made up of stuff I've collected all over the world from being on tours with my artists. Guitars, drum heads, notes, hotel keys, pictures, stage passes, set lists, contracts, T-shirts, hats. It is a mini museum.

I have Joe Walsh's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction statue that he [as a member of the Eagles] gave me and a Billboard touring award from Dickey Betts, a drumhead signed by Ringo [Starr] and a bathroom wall signed by everyone who has ever stopped by.

Give us a Joe Walsh memory.

Wow. I spent a decade managing Joe, and we've been friends since the late '60s. Lots of history. I guess a major moment was getting him and Glenn Frey together via a phone call on Michael Stanley's radio show. That led to the Walsh-Frey tour, which eventually became the Eagles' "Hell Freezes Over" tour.

Who cuts your hair, and what do you ask for?

Jami Moses-Phillips at Scott Fisher Salon in Chagrin Falls. I sit, she cuts, I leave -- pretty easy. Not like the giant afro I wore in the '70s.

I worked at "Man Talk" at Severance Center. It's how I got into radio actually. The owner, Chuck Avner, bought air time on WXEN FM so I could do a two-hour show every Friday and Saturday night. It was pretty cool!

Tell us a WMMS story.

Billy Bass, Martin Perlich and I were together at WNCR, and one day Billy called me and said we're moving on. The brass at NCR was getting too corporate for us, so Billy made a deal for the three of us to go to WMMS. Underground radio became the radio to pay attention to. A new art form was born. We didn't know what we were doing, but it worked.

What's your favorite Cleveland neighborhood?

It has to be the corner of East Ninth and Carnegie. Any time I can sit and watch the Tribe (win or lose) is a great afternoon or evening.

Best piece of Cleveland rock memorabilia you own?

I still have my original Michael Stanley Band jacket -- and it fits. (Well, kind of.)

You're a vegetarian/pescaterian. Favorite restaurants?

There's such a great variety here. For sushi, it's Shuhei [in Beachwood]. David's Special Roll is named for me [grilled salmon, scallions and mayo wrapped in soy paper.] For impressing out-of-towners: Sergio's (Chef's Veggie Choice.) For Mexican, it can only be Villa Y Zapata (veggie fajita), and a chain restaurant would have to be Brio (the salmon salad.)

Plan a summer Cleveland Saturday night.

My wife,Ellen, and I get together with a couple of friends, find a great Cleveland restaurant and eat outside on a hot evening. We love to go to places that have a patio, especially Sergio's and Brio. Then we come back to the house where the pool table and an iPod on scramble await.

Have a Beachwood High School memory?

I had a teacher who will go unnamed, who was a huge Lovin' Spoonful fan -- especially of their drummer. She said if I could introduce her to him the next time they did "Upbeat," I would ace her class without attending. I did, and she kept her end of the deal.

In 2000, I got inducted into Beachwood High's Gallery of Success. I felt a little foolish standing next to people that invented medicines and great technology, and I was there for hanging with rock stars.